Mayor Garcetti breaks Ground on L.A. River Taylor Yard bicycle and pedestrian bridge

 
06/12/2019




Mayor Eric Garcetti broke ground on the Taylor Yard Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge, which will connect Elysian Valley to Cypress Park.

“The L.A. River is an iconic destination for people across Los Angeles — and this groundbreaking is an important milestone in our work to build a more sustainable and connected city,” said Mayor Garcetti. “This bridge will give Angelenos another way to enjoy our historic waterway by providing better access to green spaces, as well as new places to walk and bike.”  

Once complete, the bridge will be roughly 400 feet long with an 18-foot-wide passageway for cyclists and pedestrians. The $20.6 million project — which has an expected completion date of early 2021 — will be funded in entirety by L.A. Metro.

“The Taylor Yard Bridge moves L.A. County toward Metro’s commitment to increase the number of people walking and biking,” said Metro CEO Phil Washington. “Projects like this are a key part of a comprehensive transportation system and make it safer and easier for people in historically underinvested communities to get to where they need to go.”

The bridge will link the eventual Los Angeles River Bike Path — a project to create a continuous 51-mile path from Canoga Park to Long Beach by 2025 — to the future 42-acre Taylor Yard G2 River Park, which has a targeted completion date of 2028.

In addition to providing year-round public access to the river, the bridge will advance Mayor Garcetti’s goal to ensure that at least 65% of Angelenos live within a half mile of a park or open space by 2025.

“This journey began with former Councilmembers Mike Hernandez and Ed P. Reyes, and then my office took the baton in 2013 to carry this project over the finish line,” said Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell. “During this time, we held the former Los Angeles County Transportation Commission to its legal obligation to build a bridge at Taylor Yard. The idea to connect the river communities of Cypress Park and Elysian Valley has been almost three decades in the making. The Taylor Yard Bridge is a critical piece of connectivity at the L.A. River, giving Elysian Valley residents a healthier pedestrian route to access the communities. This has been a vision worth working for all these years.”

"The Taylor Yard Bridge is an exciting and long awaited project that will provide a safe passage over the river,” said CounciImember Gilbert Cedillo. “I believe in bringing people together and this bridge will allow communities on both sides of the river to share in all the river has to offer now and in the future."

Mayor Garcetti has led the City’s efforts to revitalize the Los Angeles River by transforming it from a concrete flood channel into a natural space — creating more parks, bike paths, and open space for recreational use. This work includes the construction of several new bridges that connect communities to the river, including the Sixth Street Viaduct replacement, the North Atwater Multimodal Bridge, and the Red Car Pedestrian Bridge.

The Bureau of Engineering is leading the design and construction of the L.A. River pedestrian, bike, and equestrian bridges. The Taylor Yard bridge will feature a bright orange color with a structure intended to evoke classic railway bridges.

“Our work is making communities safer and healthier, as we continue to bring communities along the river closer together,” said Gary Lee Moore, City Engineer.


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